Business/Economy

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The governor and Legislature face a critical policy choice in the wake of Thursday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling on a federal health care overhaul and must decide whether to expand the state's biggest health care program to cover an estimated 170,000 uninsured New Mexicans.

The court ruled the federal government couldn't force New Mexico and other states to expand Medicaid eligibility in 2014 by threatening to withhold federal aid received for the program.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks dropped sharply Thursday after the Supreme Court upheld the central provision of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, a requirement that almost all Americans carry health insurance.

The Dow Jones industrial average, which was down about 100 points before the court ruled, fell further and was down 136 points at 12,491 at noon Eastern.

Moody's Investors Service lowered the credit ratings of 15 of the world's largest banks late Thursday, including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, saying their long-term prospects for profitability and growth are shrinking.

Los Alamos County is launching an online marketing effort to better educate local tourism industry employees about the city “where discoveries are made.” Subsequently, the county officials hope knowledgeable employees will incite a desire in visitors to discover even more about Los Alamos’ history and attractions, while dispelling any misnomers they may have with facts.

At this Tuesday's work session, Economic Vitality Administrator Greg Fisher presents council with a range of options for economic development. Although no action will be taken, staff will look to council for guidance on where to focus the county's limited resources.

As part of his preparation, Fisher presented his preliminary report to the county's Economic Vitality Action Team (EVAT) for feedback. EVAT advises the county administrator on implementation of the Economic Vitality Strategic Plan (EVSP). The EVAT team met last week, as did the Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation's (LACDC) MainStreet Futures committee. Both discussed priorities for council to consider during its deliberations.